Encinal Yacht Club, located on the Pacific island of Alameda, CA, hosted its own celebration of sailing on Summer Sailstice by inviting the public in for sailboat rides, cannons firing, hosting small boat races, running a boatbuilding contest, jamming with a full day of music and facilitating the fun with generous helpings of Dark 'n Stormies from event sponsor Goslings Rum. Hundreds of people attended the event with 'islanders' coming over to try their very first sail to the skilled (and 'gaining skills') boatbuilders who started building boats at 9AM with the hopes of having them launched and race-ready by 5pm.
Without a doubt one of the highlights every year has been the boat building contest run annually by ringmaster Ariane Paul for 5 years at EYC and previously for three years at Treasure Island Sailing Center. Teams consist of three people who must come with power tools and a stack of lumber which they then must saw, screw, hammer, bend and shape into a floating craft over the course of a day into something that will carry a minimum of two of the crew around a short course on the estuary by the end of the day. Creativity and plenty of 'goop' (provided by Port Supply) were the prime ingredients to a successful launch.
EYC Junior Program sailors and Afterguard Sailing introduced many uninitiated sailors with a 'first sail'
Three diverse designs successfully made it around the whole couse, a catamaran, a pirate ship and a rowing dinghy. (Sailing rigs and accessories are allowed to be prepared in advance - the boat must be built on site!)
Not the fastest but certainly the most intricate and decorated boat built in just one day.
Goslings 'Dark 'N Stormy' team of Tom Provost and Griff Brazil shared their Bermuda concoction.
Sailors, boaters, the public came to discover more about the sailing scene - and more about all electric tenders.
Summer Sailstice was on site with burgees, tees and contest sign ups. Hope a prize winner was there!
Crowds gathered to watch the launch and race between newly built 'yachts'.
Still tethered the ships are ready to set sail.
Off they go - sort of.
There was a lot going on for Summer Sailstice at Encinal Yacht Club. See you next year.
